Last summer, I was lucky enough to get to travel to Italy with my family, and let me tell you, it was the most amazing trip I have ever taken! I highly recommend travelling to Italy if you get the chance. Here is a way too brief summary of the highlights of my trip through Italy.
Venice
Our trip started with a 6-hour flight to Montreal, followed by another 9-hour red-eye flight from Montreal to Venice. It was my first time flying overseas, and it was not exactly an enjoyable flight, but it is worth it. Immediately after we got off the airplane, we were struck by the scorching heat of the sun (something every travel agent warned us would happen from travelling in Italy in July). Each day on our two-week trip consisted of temperatures in the high thirties or low forties, but we didn’t let the sweltering heat stop us from experiencing what Italy has to offer.
First stop, my family and I stayed in a small town just outside Venice, called Mira. Mira was a very remote country town, which made it fun to try out the little bit of Italian my family and I had been practicing for the months prior to our trip on the local people who did not understand a word of English. For the three days that we spent in Mira, we took a short bus ride into Venice every morning. Now, Venice was quite crowded, but it was worth it because it is extremely beautiful. If you’re to go to Italy, I highly recommend at least making a quick stop in Venice, especially because it may be gone within our lifetime. Beautiful canals intersect with the ancient cobblestone streets, and the views are absolutely breathtaking. Venice is filled with an abundance of amazing cathedrals and beautiful architecture that you must see. Another recommendation is to stop by Saint Mark’s Square if you have the chance.
Florence
Florence is a city that really took me by surprise. I was not expecting it to be my one of my favourite places that we visited, but I was so impressed by the city and how it is completely packed full of unbelievable sights and amazing history. I like to think of Florence as a more up-scale Venice. They had many high-end shops, and the city felt very busy and metropolitan.
My family and I stayed in a beautiful hotel right on the Arno River with an amazing view. Florence is such a beautiful city with endless sights to see. On our first day, we saw the famous Duomo, which was unbelievable. Some of my favourite sights that I saw, and I would recommend if you see if you take a trip to Florence, were the Ponte Vecchio, the Palazzo Pitti, and Boboli Gardens.
Tuscany
After Florence, my family and I rented a car and drove to Tuscany. If you’ve been to Italy before you know that their driving style is a little different than I was used to in Canada (lots of roundabouts and very speedy drivers).
After we made it safely to Tuscany, it quickly became the most relaxing part of our trip. We stayed in a beautiful vineyard resort. Most our time in Tuscany was spent lounging by the pool, which I was not mad about! Our hotel was about a ten-minute drive from a small fishing port city, which was very beautiful to explore. It seemed that the city really came alive at night. The entire city was lit up and every restaurant and gelato shop were completely full. Tuscany was a great experience and definitely a great travel destination if you’re looking for a more relaxing time.
Rome
We wrapped up an unbelievable trip in the incredible city of Rome. Busy city, amazing shopping, and an endless list of sights and monuments to explore. Being shopaholics, my sister and I spent a good part of our time in Rome exploring the amazing shopping that they had downtown.
What I found the most surprising about the city of Rome, was that most of the famous sights that my family was eager to see were right in the middle of the bustling, busy city. The sight that I was most looking forward to seeing, and my absolute favourite sight that we saw on the whole trip was the Trevi fountain. I felt just like Lizzie McGuire from The Lizzie McGuire Movie when my sister and I threw our coins into the fountain and made a wish. The fountain itself really did blow me away though, the architecture is extremely intricate and detailed. Some other sights that we saw in Rome that I would recommend exploring are the Colosseum, the Pantheon, and Vatican City.
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(All photos are my own)